Meanings
plural anni mirabiles
- A year that includes a multitude of significant and fateful events, be they disasters or successes.
1 more example
The year 1905 was said to be Albert Einstein’s annus mirabilis – his “miracle year” – in which he published four important papers that set the stage for modern physics. Just over a century later, that phrase comes to my mind when I think of 2015 and New Horizons; it’s been our miracle year. Just consider, in the last 12 months…
2015 December 30, Alan Stern, “Our 'Annus Mirabilis'”, in New Horizons: The PI's Perspective (blog), Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, archived from the original on 04 Jan 2016
Origin
- Latinannus“year”
- Englishannus mirabilis
From Latin annus (“year”) + mirabilis (“miraculous”). From the title of a poem by John Dryden that commemorates the 'year' June 1665-September 1666, during which occurred several momentous events, beginning with a decisive English victory at the Battle of Lowestoft and ending with the Great Fire of London.
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
French annus mirabilis
- annus mirabilisyear that includes significant and fateful events
German annus mirabilis
- annus mirabilisyear that includes significant and fateful events
Portuguese annus mirabilis
- annus mirabilisyear that includes significant and fateful events
Cite this entry
annus mirabilis. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/annus%20mirabilis
“annus mirabilis.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/annus%20mirabilis. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “annus mirabilis,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/annus%20mirabilis.
Source: annus mirabilis on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.